Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
Thursday, December 1, 1994 10:07 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR TWO MINUTES WHEN THE PILOT REQUESTED LANDING PERMISSION STATING, IN PART, 'I'D LIKE TO PROCEED INBOUND...SINGLE ENGINE LANDING, PLEASE.' HE CANCELLED THIS REQUEST IMMEDIATELY AND REPORTED '...I'M GOING DOWN AT THIS TIME.' HE THEN CONTACTED THE DISPATCH WHERE HE HAD DEPARTED AND REPORTED THE POSITION OF HIS INTENDED LANDING. AFTER THIS RADIO CALL, 23 TO 25 SECONDS PASSED BEFORE HIS LAST COMMUNICATION INDICATING AN IMMINENT CRASH. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS NEARLY SILENT JUST PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT AND THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE NOISE AT ALL AFTER IMPACT. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT NEITHER ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT; HOWEVER, NO MECHANICAL REASON FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OR NECESSITY FOR AN ENGINE SHUTDOWN BY THE PILOT WAS DETERMINED. DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR SYSTEM INDICATED THAT RPM WAS EXTREMELY LOW AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot's failure to obtain/maintain a successful autorotation. Factors were: a loss of engine power of one engine for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's shutdown of the wrong engine.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/1/1994
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1007
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City ANN ARBOR
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 48105
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 12000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 16
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2087
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 1 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1030
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 12:44PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1QF
NTSB Number CHI95FA050
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Agusta
Aircraft Model A109A II
Aircraft Series Identifier A109A II
Aircraft Serial Number 7311
Certified Max Gross Weight 5730
Aircraft Category Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Jun 13 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 57
Airframe Hours 1890
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AGUSTA AEROSPACE CORP.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3050 RED LION RD.
Aircraft Owner City PHILADELPHIA
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19114
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name METRO AVIATION, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P. O. BOX 7008
Operator City SHREVEPORT
Operator State LA
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 71137
Operator Code HDNA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code NONE
Departure City
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1003
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code NONE
Destination City HOWELL
Destination State MI
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 2 2009 2:41PM
User who most recently changed record johb
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight Yes
Medical Flight --